Chess Openings Wizard vs Valora Chess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Openings Wizard
This app helps tournament chess players prepare their openings by designing and testing their knowledge of specific lines. It offers powerful editing and training tools, syncing with desktop versions and providing Stockfish analysis for move validation. Prepare openings quickly with tools refined over decades.
- Design and test chess openings
- Full editing and training power
- Syncs with Mac and Windows versions
- Stockfish analysis via PocketGM server
- Pedigree ribbon shows top player game results
- Fast opening preparation tools
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Chess Openings Wizard is where tournament players go to work on their openings. The app is based on the Bookup program that first came out in 1984. The app has full editing and training power like its brethren apps on Macintosh and Windows. Openings can be moved back and forth to the Macintosh, Windows, and Android versions. Chess Openings Wizard does not play chess, nor does it come with a game collection. It is meant for designing openings for White and defenses for Black, and then testing the player's knowledge of the lines by playing mock games. Sample ebooks include an opening guide (thousands of named and categorized opening positions accessible through any move order), an ECO master framework, and the White and Black repertoires of Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Robert Fischer. It also includes a demo ebook with excerpts from a highly annotated repertoire in the Open Game. Chess Openings Wizard has a dedicated PocketGM server giving you full speed Stockfish analysis. (Internet connection required.) The Pedigree ribbon shows the results of games in each opening position but uses only games between two super GMs. That way you know if the move is trusted by the best players. (And it's important to know if a move has never been played by a super GM when facing another super GM.) This is the same feature found in Chess Openings Wizard Professional for Macintosh and Windows. The short version is: if you are designing an opening with a game database app or with a playing program, you're working too hard. Chess Openings Wizard contains 42 years of refinements, with precisely the tools that a tournament player requires to prepare openings fast.
Valora Chess
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Valora Chess is a structured chess training platform designed for coaches and students who want focused improvement through guided practice. The app helps chess coaches assign training tasks, track student progress, and manage learning in an organized way. Students receive clear assignments and work through puzzles and training exercises with accountability and structure. Valora Chess is built for serious learning and skill development, supporting chess academies, coaching groups, and individual training programs. Key Features • Coach and student onboarding • Assign chess puzzles and training tasks • Track completion and student progress • Organized coach–student training workflow • Secure account-based access Valora Chess is designed for structured chess education, helping coaches monitor development and helping students improve through disciplined, guided practice.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Valora Chess at Free against Chess Openings Wizard's $6.99. Valora Chess also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). Chess Openings Wizard's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.2). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Valora Chess is free to download; Chess Openings Wizard costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Chess Openings Wizard ships an update every 2 months, Valora Chess every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Openings Wizard | Valora Chess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 14.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 167 MB | 164 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bookup Corp. | Ravi Verma |
In-app purchases
Chess Openings Wizard
No in-app purchases
Valora Chess
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess Openings Wizard free?
Is Valora Chess free?
Do Chess Openings Wizard or Valora Chess have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Openings Wizard or Valora Chess?
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